A few minutes ago, I drifted further from reality, trying to unravel the past.

And now...everyone thinks I’m insane. But, I know he's real, and I know he needs me.

Do you believe me?

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

REVIEW

Oh my gosh I am having a time contemplating reality after reading Unravel. I mean I literally felt the MC's world unravelling around her.

The story is told from the POV of Naomi, who starts the story in a Psychiatric Hospital. The entire book is spent glimpsing into her past while she tries to explain to her doctor why she's in the facility. To be truthful I had no idea until the last few chapters where the story was going. Now I feel like I need to reread it because I feel that there were clues...moreOh my gosh I am having a time contemplating reality after reading Unravel. I mean I literally felt the MC's world unravelling around her.

The story is told from the POV of Naomi, who starts the story in a Psychiatric Hospital. The entire book is spent glimpsing into her past while she tries to explain to her doctor why she's in the facility. To be truthful I had no idea until the last few chapters where the story was going. Now I feel like I need to reread it because I feel that there were clues dropped along the way that I missed.

The book itself is well written and fast paced. The story was a new experience for me, to put myself in the head of someone struggling with a psychiatric experience was mind warping, that plus the main issue at the heart of the story made the book an intense read.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

When Caroline Piasecki’s ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the Internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn’t look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear, hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defense and punches her ex to the ground.

West Leavitt is the last person Caroline needs in her life. Everyone knows he’s shady. Still, Caroline is drawn to his confidence and swagger—even after promising her dad she’ll keep her distance. On late, sleepless nights, Caroline starts wandering into the bakery where West works.

They hang out, they talk, they listen. Though Caroline and West tell each other they’re “just friends,” their feelings intensify until it becomes impossible to pretend. The more complicated her relationship with West gets, the harder Caroline has to struggle to discover what she wants for herself—and the easier it becomes to find the courage she needs to fight back against the people who would judge her.

When all seems lost, sometimes the only place to go is deeper.

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

REVIEW

The issue at the heart of this book, revenge porn, is a seriously big problem in todays society. Girls! Keep your naked pictures to yourself. There is no need to share them with anyone because we are only human and just because you think you know someone doesn't mean you do. There are some seriously mean and spiteful people out there.

The way Robin York weaves the story of Caroline had my heart breaking for her from page one. I could really sense that Caroline put her full trust into someone she thought loved her only to turn around and have that person hurt her in one of the worst ways possible. I really wanted to punch her ex in the face...with a hammer.. douche.

The characters that make up the main group are all so real. The bff who is a player, the love interest who comes from a shady past, the rugby player who swings both ways. They all had something about them that made them so relatable. Sometimes in books the problems of the characters are so unbelieving or aren't really problems at all or are magically fixed. Not the case here. Caroline's problem will probably never go away, it's the type of thing that will haunt her forever. West has had a messed up childhood and has done some dark things to get to where he is now and will have to go through even more to get to where he wants to be.

All throughout the book I was rooting for Caroline and West. When the end came around, I was left with so many questions! Damn series. Needless to say I'm looking forward to the next installment. I'm hoping that Caroline and West get a happily ever after but with realistic fiction it's hard to know which way the author will swing.

Monday, May 26, 2014

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals--well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

PURE

COVENANT #2

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: 04/03/2012

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Paranormal, Mythology, Romance

There is need. And then there is Fate. Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's other half is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her. When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon--and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude--or killing her. When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

DEITY

COVENANT #3

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: 11/06/2012

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Paranormal, Mythology, Romance

History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

APOLLYON

COVENANT #4

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: 04/04/2013

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Paranormal, Mythology, Romance

Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

SENTINEL

COVENANT #5

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: 11/02/2013

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Paranormal, Mythology, Romance

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

Pictures and Summaries from Goodreads

REVIEW

*le sigh*

Yet another shining example of why Jennifer L. Armentrout rocks the book world.

This series! So amazing!! It took over my life for, literally, three whole days. Three whole days of doing nothing but reading these five books, one after the other. How people waited in between book releases I have no idea. It was just that amazing, and that suspenseful, and that swoonworthy that I could NOT stop reading until I knew how it would all end.

The basics are that it's a secret "society" I guess you could call it descending from the Greek gods, I love me some Greek mythology. At the center of the story is a girl, Alex, who is this half blood superchick. She has spent her whole life training to be all badass and protect Pures but of course things go differently when her mother runs away with Alex in tow. When we start the series Alex and her mom have been on the run for three years and things have just taken a turn for the worse, which in turn causes Alex to return to the Covenant and resume her training.

The characters that make up this series are so awesome and powerful and badass. Alex has some pretty solid friends (and higher ups) who have her back. I got attached to so many people and cried over more than a few. There is also a semi love triangle. I say semi because in my eyes it could have only gone one way (Team Aiden).

When I turned the last page of the last book I felt like I was losing a part of myself. I no longer knew how to function in the real world without Alex and Aiden and the whole gang. Talk about a serious book hangover!

Now for a little truth, I had half blood on my NOOK for a REALLY long time before actually reading it. Mostly because the cover is not at all attractive. Yup, I judged a book by its cover which caused me to miss out on reading this series for longer than necessary. Don't make the same mistake I did. Read the Covenant series now!

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

REVIEW

I LOVE all the covers of this series.

I can't get over how amazing the writing in this book was. The book's world literally came to life while I was reading it and was never far from my mind when I wasn't reading it. I have never come across anything like it before. The storyline, the characters, the monsters were so incredibly unique and beautiful but also at times grotesque...I was constantly wondering how the author came up with all these ideas. I look forward to continuing this journey with the characters, I can't wait to see where the story will lead them.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Shocking secrets.Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who’ve been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It’s kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.

Unexpected allies.With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals.

Gut-wrenching treachery.When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she’s drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can’t remember—but Death can’t forget…

In this seductive follow-up to Poison Princess, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole takes us deeper into the dark world of the Arcana Chronicles

Picture and Summary From Goodreads

REVIEW

Ummmmm, not okay. I am left dying in suspense with that ending!

Overall Endless Knight is a great follow up to Poison Princess. It's fast paced and we learn more about the game, we are also introduced to new characters (some I'm still unsure of). There were a lot of twists and turns that were unexpected and there is a love triangle that works it's way into the story. Surprisingly I found myself torn between whose team I was on so I feel I may be a little sad no matter how it turns out but I'm sti...moreUmmmmm, not okay. I am left dying in suspense with that ending!

Overall Endless Knight is a great follow up to Poison Princess. It's fast paced and we learn more about the game, we are also introduced to new characters (some I'm still unsure of). There were a lot of twists and turns that were unexpected and there is a love triangle that works it's way into the story. Surprisingly I found myself torn between whose team I was on so I feel I may be a little sad no matter how it turns out but I'm still more in favor of Jack.

Nothing is really settled by the end of the book so you can really tell its a middle book but I feel like it was necessary since it gives us a glimpse into Deaths character. And even though nothing is really resolved the book is still exciting enough to keep you on your toes. I am highly anticipating the next (final?) book!

**Side note - I'm still super pissed about the new covers. They are so ugly in comparison to the old ones. If I hadn't already read the books the covers definitely wouldn't help to draw me in.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

"Waiting On" Wednesday is
a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking
The Spine. It
features books we are eagerly anticipating getting our hands on.

My Pick This Week:

DEFECTOR

VARIANTS #2

Author: Susanne Winnacker

Publication Date: 06/26/2014

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Science Fiction

Tessa has finally made peace with her life as a Variant. She and long-time love Alec are officially a couple, and for the first time, she has everything she wants.

But the air is tense at FEA headquarters. An agent has disappeared, and rogue variant organization Abel’s Army is likely the culprit.

When Tessa is summoned for her second mission, she is unexpectedly launched into a massive conspiracy. Her best friend Holly is kidnapped and Tessa knows it was meant to be her. But who is after her? And more importantly, why?

When the FEA’s efforts to rescue Holly don’t yield any results, Tessa takes matters into her own hands. Desperate to save her friend and uncover the mystery behind Abel’s Army, Tessa launches her own investigation—but nothing could prepare her for what she finds. Everyone in her life is harboring secrets: Alec, her estranged mother, even the father she never knew.

The truth will take her out on the road and out of her comfort zone, with danger lurking everywhere. Summoning all of her courage and strength, Tessa must decide who can be trusted and what is worth fighting for—even if it means going against the life she thought she wanted. Her final decision will leave readers breathless.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

REVIEW

I feel like I can't say much about this book without giving stuff away from Everneath, but seriously if you haven't read the first book you shouldn't be reading the review for the second, still I'm going to keep it short and sweet.

Everbound is full of suspense. There was enough tension and emotion to keep me fully invested, not to mention the flashbacks of Nikki and Jack's relationship. The ending has left me dying to leap into the third book. If you loved Everneath then you are going to enjoy Everbound. So get to it!

Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can't do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side.

Picture and Summary From Goodreads

REVIEW

That is a crap long summary, is it not? Jeez, give away the whole book why don't ya!

I did really like this book. There were some issues that drove me crazy, but aside from that it is an awesomely written dystopian with weavings of Tarot "magic" (I know nothing of Tarot so please don't murder me because I called it magic).

The story line itself is crazy creative, it almost doesn't even need the romance to keep me interested. I'm wholly devoted to finding out how this battle is going to play out but the romance does make for a yummy appetizer.

My main issues with this book are Jack's asshole-ness and Evie's lack of a backbone. Jack's whole swoonworthy appearance is such a turn on but his degrading attitude towards girls is a let down. I wish he didn't have to be such a pig sometimes.

And Evie, I like you, I do, but come on!! Yes Jack can be a total a-hole but I'm positive that if Evie would take him down a notch he would be a whole lot better. I mean she has all these awesome powers, she really doesn't need Jack to come to her rescue so I wish she would quit letting him treat her like dirt. Of course it requires her getting over her fear of said powers in order for her to really enjoy them.

But hot damn what an ending!!

**Side note - since my purchase of Poison Princess and Endless Knight they have changed the covers of the books to pure ugliness. I am NOT happy about it, I'm pretty pissed with whoever made this decision.

Friday, May 16, 2014

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

SWEET PERIL

THE SWEET TRILOGY #2

Author: Wendy Higgins

Publication Date: 04/30/2013

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Paranormal, Romance

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

SWEET RECKONING

THE SWEET TRILOGY #3

Author: Wendy Higgins

Publication Date: 04/29/2014

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Paranormal, Romance

It’s time.

Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.

It's an exciting, suspensful, and swoonworthy tale told from the POV of Anna, a teenage girl who quickly learns she is anything BUT normal. Anna's character seemed very relatable. She loves her friends and her mom and is constantly putting the well being of her family before herself. It was easy to get wrapped up in the story and with each book I quickly found myself unable to put it down. While a lot of the focus is on Anna and Kaidan there is still this huge conflict going on throughout all three books that have Anna and her rockstar supporting cast fighting for their lives.

I will admit that in the third book Anna started to annoy me a little. She never came off as a ditzy blonde until Sweet Reckoning. I don't know if it was because certain things happened allowing her to feel deliriously happy or what. All I know is that I wasn't a fan of her personality for the first half of the book. It doesn't take long though before she's back to her tough self.

By the end of the third book everything comes to a dramatic end and I was left feeling like the story was complete. It's a series that I know I will reread, I highly recommend

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan.... But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she's really good at it. She and her twin, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words...and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

REVIEW

I absolutely adored this book!!

Fangirl is filled with adorable, cutesy moments but also holds depth and meaning. The relationships that fill this book are complicated and deep but also full of love and emotion. I seriously loved almost ALL of the characters, I loved their interactions and banter, I could feel everything Cath was going through and felt like I was going through it with her.

Following Cath on her journey to find herself, independently from her sister Wren, was at times heartbreakin...moreI absolutely adored this book!!

Fangirl is filled with adorable, cutesy moments but also holds depth and meaning. The relationships that fill this book are complicated and deep, full of love and emotion. I seriously loved almost ALL of the characters, I loved their interactions and banter, I could feel everything Cath was going through and felt like I was going through it with her.

Following Cath on her journey to find herself, independently from her sister Wren, was at times heartbreaking. She's kind of thrown into the situation by force and at times has a hard time staying afloat. Cath felt very real to me; her struggles, her anxieties, her fear of change..it all spoke to me. I felt like I was living through her. To me it's an amazing book when I can relate to a character so well that I feel like they are a part of me.

Fangirl is beautifully written and when the end comes around you feel completed, even if you are sad that it's over. This has easily become one of my favorites of all time.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is
a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking
The Spine. It
features books we are eagerly anticipating getting our hands on.

My Pick This Week:

ON THE FENCE

Author: Kasie West

Publication Date: 07/01/2014

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

I have recently become a die hard Kasie West fan. I have made it my goal in life to read each and every one of her books that she has written/will write. But On The Fence itself sounds awesome so I'm sure I would have picked it up anyways.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

REVIEW

I loved this book! I put off reading it for so long and I'm super mad at myself for it!

At first I was completely confused thinking surely there was a book before this one but no the story just starts off after a century in the Everneath which turns out to be six months on the surface (Earth). Needless to say there is some catching up that has to take place and while that can be a slow process in this case it wasn't. I was instantly hooked from chapter one and couldn't stop until the end and now...moreI loved this book! I put off reading it for so long and I'm super mad at myself for it!

At first I was completely confused thinking surely there was a book before this one but no the story just starts off after a century in the Everneath which turns out to be six months on the surface (Earth). Needless to say there is some catching up that has to take place and while that can be a slow process in this case it wasn't. I was instantly hooked from chapter one and couldn't stop until the end and now I'm counting down the days till the next installment shows up on my doorstep. Nikki is such a strong and selfless main character, I was dying for her to tell Jack EVERYTHING. While I normally don't like love triangles this one wasn't too bad because I could sense the substance between Jack and Nikki whereas with Cole it was obvious he's a slimeball who's suffering from puppy love. Team Jack all the way!!

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

REVIEW

Ok, so this book!? Wow! The whole thing seemed so realistic (okay obviously time travel doesn't seem realistic but maybe someday?). The way the world fell apart seems very similar to the road we are heading down so that really upped my anxiety level. Also, mosquitos...that's all I'm sayin!

Aside from that The Here and Now was a quick paced, suspenseful read. It starts off with a prologue from the POV of Ethan but the rest of the book is told from Prenna's view. I've heard some describe the romance to be a touch of insta-love but I felt like it wasn't. The characters have had a couple of years to grow together that we don't witness so I feel like the relationship developed slowly but came to a head while we were reading. I really loved the relationship between Ethan and Prenna, I liked that they didn't rely on each other to do anything but that together they seemed to be stronger. There wasn't a whole lot of secondary character development but I'm okay with that because in my opinion the story didn't require it. While some of the story reads like any other dystopia-ish book (people in charge aren't necessarily looking out for the good of everyone) it still had its way of keeping me fully committed and interested.

The ending killed me! I read somewhere that this is a stand alone but I'm really hoping that isn't the case! Because while I loved the book the ending has left me feeling empty and needing more answers!

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have one year. Exactly 365 days--to escape, or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s lying naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. And on an island rife with dangers, their greatest threat is time.

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

REVIEW

Oh my goodness!! This book!!! What a ride! The suspense, the mystery, the romance...I just couldn't get enough. From the get go you are caught up in the question "What is NIL?" and you feel like you're in a whirlwind until the very end.

The writing was very well done, I could feel the sun on my skin through the author's descriptions and the characters brought the book to life. I became invested in their outcomes and found myself cheering them on.

If I am disappointed at all it is because I'm left wondering what happens to the rest of the cast but since this is mainly Charley and Thad's story I knew to expect an open/closed ending. The story is told from both the POV's of Thad and Charley but it was soo well done that I actually enjoyed them, which is a big thing for me to say!!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

"Waiting On" Wednesday is
a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking
The Spine. It
features books we are eagerly anticipating getting our hands on.

My Pick This Week:

The Jewel

Author: Amy Ewing

Publication Date: 09/02/2014

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Dystopian, Romance

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty––because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence . . . and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

Ummm, so this sounds awesome. Never have I read anything with surrogacy in it, let alone people being purchased as surrogates, so that should be interesting to read about. Also, an illicit romance? Yes Please!

Brutally attacked by one god and unfairly cursed by another she faithfully served, Medusa has spent the last two thousand years living out her punishment on an enchanted isle in the Aegean Sea. A far cry from the monster legends depict, she’s spent her time educating herself, gardening, and desperately trying to frighten away adventure seekers who occasionally end up, much to her dismay, as statues when they manage to catch her off guard. As time marches on without her, Medusa wishes for nothing more than to be given a second chance at a life stolen away at far too young an age.

But then comes a day when Hermes, one of the few friends she still has and the only deity she trusts, petitions the rest of the gods and goddesses to reverse the curse. Thus begins a journey toward healing and redemption, of reclaiming a life after tragedy, and of just how powerful friendship and love can be—because sometimes, you have to sink in the deep end of the sea before you can rise back up again

Picture and Summary From Goodreads

REVIEW

So I totally have a thing for Greek mythology but I really know nothing about it so any chance I get to read a book on it I snatch it up.

The Deep End of the Sea is told from the POV of Medusa. I know enough about the story of Medusa to know that this version of her story was a different take on it and I loved it. I loved the idea of her not really being the monster everyone claimed her to be. I especially loved her friendship/relationship with Hermes, he definitely became Medusa's knight in shining armor (as much as I love a girl who can kick ass I also love when a handsome man swoops in to save the day). The main group of characters that Medusa interacts with are fantastic and I really felt their love for each other. It's the type of family group you want to be a part of.

Throughout the book I had constant feels ranging from sympathy to anger to giddyness. And when I put the book down it was with a contented goofy grin. It was excellently paced but there were a few grammar issues and for some reason my Nook edition had underlined text throughout the entire book but it wasn't bad enough to turn me off of it. All in all I highly recommend it!